68 lines
2.3 KiB
Plaintext
68 lines
2.3 KiB
Plaintext
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THE FOUR AIRTS
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To Those who are interested in the Wiccan
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Arts:
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The Four Airts is a Gaelic term for the
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four points ofthe compass, north, south,
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east and west. The magick circle usually
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has a candle or lamp at each of the four
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quarters (N,S,E and W) and the Four Airts
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are connected to the Four Elements.
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The _true_ relationship of the Elements to
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the four Airts is dependant on the prevailing
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winds where the circle is cast. In example,
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my circle is cast in Portland, Oregon. The
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West wind comes right off the Pacific and
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is the source of water. Very much like the
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Britain or Western magickal tradition the
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Northern wind comes down from the Arctic
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cold front and is easily associated with the
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cold dark Element of Earth. Unlike Western
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magickal tradition, for my local, the warm
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and hot winds come down the Columbia Gorge
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from the aired high plain deserts further
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east--the Airts of fire. The South wind is
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cool and dry thus the nature of the Element
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of air. In other localities this may be
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quite different; so the truly talented
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magician, unlike one who simply has read up
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on the subject, will note the nature of the
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prevailing winds and invoke the Elements
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accordingly.
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The Gaelic Airts had a traditional
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association with colors attributed to
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them. The east took the crimson of dawn;
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the south the white light of high noon;
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west the brownish-grey of twilight; and
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the north the black of midnight. Again,
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it will depend on your locality and
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personal observance; for me crimson goes
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to the magnificent Pacific sunsets
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(especially spectacular in the fall) in
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the west; to the east, the land of the
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rising sun goes the blue-white/gray color
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of dawn the dawn.
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It is notable that the magickal ideas of
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dancing or circumambulating _deaseil_ or
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_tuathal_ are connected with the Four
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Airts. _Deaseil_, or sunwise (turning
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right-handed), is fortunate, and a
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movement of blessing; but _tuathal_, or
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widdershins (turning left-handed) is
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generally the movement of advirse magick
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and cursing. These names come from the
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Scot Gaelic words for the four cardinal
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points; _tuath_, north; _aiet_, east;
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_deas_, south; and _iar_, west. _Airt_
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(east) is the starting point of invocations;
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so deas is for the good and tuath is for
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the sinister side of magick.
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Zuriel.
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